Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désaxer

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The English translation of the French verb désaxer is “to unbalance” or “to dislodge.” The infinitive form, désaxer, is pronounced “day-za-zay.”

Désaxer comes from the word “saxe,” meaning “axle” in French. It is a combination of the prefix “dés-” meaning “remove” and the root “axer” meaning “to align with an axis.” Therefore, désaxer literally means “to remove from the axis” or “to unbalance.”

In everyday French, désaxer is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is often used to describe a situation where something or someone has been thrown off balance or has become unstable.

Here are three simple examples of désaxer in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Il fallait que je désaxe le meuble pour pouvoir le déplacer. (I needed to unbalance the furniture in order to move it.)
  2. Elle avait peur que le vent désaxe son parapluie. (She was afraid that the wind would dislodge her umbrella.)
  3. Ils craignaient que l’arrivée du nouveau PDG ne désaxe l’entreprise. (They were afraid that the arrival of the new CEO would unbalance the company.)

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of désaxer

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je désaxasse Si j’avais plus de force, je désaxasse la machine. If I had more strength, I would dislodge the machine.
tu désaxasses Si tu avais plus de temps, tu désaxasses la pièce. If you had more time, you would displace the piece.
il désaxât Il serait mieux s’il désaxât le puzzle. It would be better if he dislocated the puzzle.
elle désaxât Elle s’évanouirait si elle désaxât son poignet. She would faint if she dislocated her wrist.
on désaxât Si on désaxât le meuble, on pourrait le déplacer. If one dislocated the furniture, one could move it.
nous désaxassions Si nous désaxassions la structure, elle s’écroulerait. If we dislocated the structure, it would collapse.
vous désaxassiez Si vous désaxassiez la porte, elle tomberait. If you dislocated the door, it would fall.
ils désaxassent S’ils désaxassent le moteur, la voiture serait inutilisable. If they dislocated the engine, the car would be unusable.
elles désaxassent Si elles désaxassent leurs épaules, elles auraient mal. If they dislocated their shoulders, they would be in pain.

Other Conjugations for Désaxer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désaxer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Désaxer – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb désaxer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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